Shane Lowry questions fairness of two-shot penalty at Open

Shane Lowry acknowledged the importance of his reputation after accepting a two-stroke penalty for a violation during the second round of the Open. Lowry maintained he did not notice his ball shift in the rough at the 12th hole during a practice swing, but officials ruled he had breached golf regulations.

Officials alerted Lowry of a potential issue on the 15th before a thorough discussion took place after he completed the 18th hole. His initial score of 70 became a 72, putting him 10 shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler, with his tally on the 12th adjusted from five to seven.

“I spoke with the rules official and didn’t argue, but I’m frustrated that there weren’t more camera angles available,” Lowry said. “The slow-motion replay showed movement, but they said that if it wasn’t visible in real time, it didn’t count. I told them I was looking down at the ball during my swing and didn’t see it move.

“Still, I had to accept the penalty. Honestly, I’m unsure if the ball moved, but I couldn’t risk damaging my reputation, so I took the penalty. It’s disappointing—I felt I played really well today, and this is tough to accept.”

Reflecting on the officials’ decision, Lowry added: “I think their minds were made up. If the ball moved and I caused it, it’s a two-stroke penalty. I didn’t want to argue and then face accusations of cheating online. If I had seen the ball move, I would have called it myself. I was looking down but didn’t notice anything. Now I’m signing for a 72.”

In a statement, the R&A clarified that Lowry’s personal view was not decisive and outlined the reasoning behind the penalty. “The rules require three considerations in such instances: 1. Did the ball leave its original position and stop elsewhere? 2. Was the movement noticeable to the naked eye? 3. Is it certain the player caused the ball to move?

“Determining whether the ball’s movement was visible assumes the player was in a normal stance. In Lowry’s case, the shift of the ball and its logo was visible, regardless of whether he was watching.

“The ball clearly moved immediately after his club touched nearby foliage during his swing, confirming his actions caused the motion.

“This results in a one-stroke penalty, and the ball must be replaced. However, because Lowry played it from its new position, an additional penalty stroke was applied, totaling two.”